Form DS-11: How to Fill Out Your Passport Application

Form DS-11 is the application every first-time U.S. passport applicant, and most minors, must complete, but you cannot sign it until a passport acceptance agent watches you do it. That single rule is why so many applicants show up to their appointment with a half-finished form. Fill in every other field ahead of time in your browser, print it, and leave only the signature line blank so your in-person visit takes minutes instead of an extra trip back.

Who Must Use Form DS-11 (and Who Can Renew by Mail Instead)

You need Form DS-11 if any of the following applies to you:

• This is your first U.S. passport book or passport card.
• You are applying for a child under 16.
• Your previous passport was lost, stolen, or damaged.
• Your previous passport was issued more than 15 years ago, or was issued when you were under 16.
• Your name has changed and you cannot document the change with a certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order.

If none of those apply, meaning your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued in your current name (or with documented proof of a name change), was issued within the last 15 years, and you were 16 or older when it was issued, you likely qualify to renew by mail with Form DS-82 instead. DS-82 skips the in-person appointment entirely, so check that eligibility list carefully before you commit to a DS-11 trip.

Documents You Need Before You Start

Gather these before you sit down to fill out the form, since scrambling for a document mid-application is the most common reason people have to reschedule:

• Proof of citizenship: a certified U.S. birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or a previous U.S. passport (original or certified copy only, no photocopies).
• Proof of identity: a valid driver's license, government-issued photo ID, or previous passport. If your ID is from a different state than where you're applying, bring a secondary ID as well.
• One 2x2 inch color passport photo with a plain white or off-white background, taken within the last six months. Do not staple or attach it to the form; the acceptance agent handles that.
• Payment for both the application fee and the facility's execution fee. As of 2026, a first-time adult passport book runs $130 plus a $35 execution fee, and a minor's book is $100 plus the same $35 execution fee. Routine processing takes roughly 6 to 8 weeks; expediting adds a fee and cuts that to about 2 to 3 weeks.
• For applicants under 16, both parents or guardians typically need to appear in person, or provide notarized consent if one cannot attend.

Step by Step: Filling Out the Fields You Can Complete Now

Download the current DS-11 from our DS-11 passport application template or from travel.state.gov, then open it with a browser-based PDF tool like PDF Editify's fill PDF tool so you can type directly into the fields instead of printing a blank copy and writing by hand. Typed answers are also easier for the acceptance agent to read, which reduces the chance of a data-entry mistake delaying your application.

1. Personal information: Enter your full legal name exactly as it should appear on the passport, date of birth, place of birth, sex, height, hair and eye color, occupation, and Social Security number. If you don't have an SSN, you'll need to attach a signed statement explaining why.
2. Other names used: List any previous legal names, such as a maiden name, so your citizenship documents match.
3. Mailing and permanent address: Provide the address where your new passport should be mailed, plus a daytime phone number and email address.
4. Parents' information: Include your parents' full names, dates of birth, and places of birth. This section is mandatory for applicants under 16 and still requested for adults.
5. Travel plans: This section is optional. If you have an upcoming trip booked, listing the departure date can support an expedite request, but leaving it blank does not hurt a routine application.
6. Passport book, card, or both: Check the box for what you're requesting. A card is cheaper but only valid for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
7. Emergency contact: Provide a name, relationship, and phone number for someone who is not traveling with you.

Save your work as you go, then export the completed PDF. Because you're working from a real, editable copy instead of scrawling in pen, it's easy to fix a typo before you print rather than starting over on a fresh paper form.

Why You Cannot Sign It Until Your Appointment

Section 7 of the DS-11, the oath and affidavit, has to be signed in the physical presence of an authorized acceptance agent. This isn't a formality: the agent is a witness confirming that you are the person named on the application and that you attested to its accuracy under oath. A DS-11 signed at home, even digitally, will be rejected at the facility and you'll have to start over with a fresh printed form. This is different from documents like leases or offer letters where an e-signature is perfectly valid; the State Department's identity-verification process specifically requires an in-person witness for this form.

Print your completed form on single-sided paper, leave the signature line blank, and bring a black pen anyway in case the facility asks you to make a correction on the spot.

What Happens at the Passport Acceptance Facility

Most post offices, many public libraries, and some county clerk offices serve as passport acceptance facilities, and many require an appointment rather than accepting walk-ins. When you arrive:

1. The agent reviews your citizenship and identity documents and makes copies as needed.
2. You sign the DS-11 in front of the agent.
3. The agent attaches your photo and reviews it against State Department photo standards.
4. You pay the application fee (often by check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State) and the separate execution fee to the facility.
5. You receive a receipt with a locator number you can use to track your application online.

Because everything except the signature is already filled in and printed, most applicants are in and out in under 15 minutes once they reach the counter. Compare that to arriving with a blank form: many facilities will ask you to complete it there with a shared pen at a standing counter, which is slower and easier to get wrong, especially with a child in tow or a lunch-break appointment to keep.

Also confirm your specific facility's hours and whether it takes walk-ins. Some post offices only accept passport applications a few hours a day, and county clerk offices often require scheduling a week or more in advance during the busy spring and summer travel season.

If you're helping a family member apply, or you're also renewing a lease, signing a job offer, or preparing other paperwork around the same move or trip, a one-time plan can be cheaper than a monthly subscription you'll use once. PDF Editify's One Week Plan is a $3 one-time purchase that expires on its own with nothing to cancel, compared to competitors that lock document tools behind a recurring monthly charge. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.